Tips for Starting a Pack and Ship Business

Perform market research in your area and prepare a market research report

Market research will allow you to see the prospects for your business by illuminating industry growth, target customers, competition, and sales data.
This research will help you to understand the profit potential of your business, as well as the challenges you will face in customer acquisition.
Taking the information you gathered and preparing a market research report will enable you to study what it means and how it applies to your future business.
It will also aid you in preparing a business plan and talking to potential investors.
 

Choose your strategy

Pack and ship businesses can take on different forms. For example, you can buy an independent location, open your own independent business, or buy a franchise.
Opening your own independent business or buying an independent business will give you the freedom to set up and run the business how you want to run it.
You will not have the rules, regulations, and overhead costs that come with buying a franchise. However, you also won’t have the advantage of name recognition and national marketing that you get with a franchise.
Everyone knows UPS, so buying a UPS franchise means you will not have to worry about branding or widespread marketing.
You can look up franchises for sale near me on the UPS store franchise website to find locations that are available and more information about their franchise program.
 

Write a business plan

The business plan will be the blueprint for your future business.
Even when buying a franchise, you need to have your plan for how you will operate as a business owner, marketing strategies, challenges and opportunities, estimated costs, funding sources, and staffing considerations, to name a few.
Your market research will also come into play with your business plan.
The more detailed you make the business plan, the more helpful it will be to you moving forward.
You can use your business plan to present to potential investors or lenders, as well as potential business partners.
Within your business plan, you should have all the information you need about possible locations, as well as licenses and permits you may need depending on where you plan to open your business.
 

Purchase your equipment and supplies

You will need a variety of equipment and supplies for your new business, including a scale, computer, printer, scanner, labels, bubble wrap, shrink tube, packaging foam, fillers, boxes, envelopes, and more.
US Packaging & Wrapping sells all types of packaging and wrapping material you may need for your business.
You can be sure to cater to your customers by ensuring you can safely package and ship their hard-to-package items.
The more accommodating you are for your customers, the more repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals you will receive.
Even as an independent business, you can beat out your nationally-known competitor by offering superior customer service, which includes having all the packaging and shipping supplies they may need.
 

Figure out shipping logistics

The shipping logistics will vary based on whether you buy a franchise or open an independent business.
Either way, you will need to have your logistics planned out ahead of time to ensure you can offer your customers reliable service.
Getting the needed shipping supplies through US Packaging and Wrapping will ensure your customers’ packages are safe for shipping, arranging shipping logistics ahead of time will ensure the packages arrive on time.
 

Market yourself

All new business requires marketing to ensure the local customers know you are open, what services you offer, and where you are located.
Be sure to emphasize your ability to ship hard to package items safely and timely.